[](
https://travis-ci.org/mfcovington/Number-RangeTracker) [](
https://coveralls.io/r/mfcovington/Number-RangeTracker?branch=master)
# NAME
Number::RangeTracker - Keep track of numerical ranges quickly
# VERSION
Version 0.6.0
# SYNOPSIS
Create and modify ranges (three range syntaxes shown):
my $range = Number::RangeTracker->new;
$range->add( [ 1, 10 ], '11..20' );
$range->remove( 6, 15 );
Output ranges, their complement, or integers within ranges
(differences between scalar and list contexts shown):
$range->output;
# Scalar context: '1..5,16..20'
# List context: ( 1 => 5, 16 => 20 )
$range->complement;
# Scalar context: '-inf..0,6..15,21..+inf'
# List context: ( -inf => 0, 6 => 15, 21 => +inf )
$range->integers;
# Scalar context: '1,2,3,4,5,16,17,18,19,20'
# List context: ( 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 )
Examine range characteristics:
$range->length; # 8
$range->size; # 10
$range->is_in_range(100); # 0
$range->is_in_range(18); # 1, 16, 20
# DESCRIPTION
An instance of the Number::RangeTracker class is used to keep track of
a set of numerical ranges. Ranges can be added to and removed from
this collection of ranges. Overlapping ranges are collapsed to form a
single, longer range. Ranges can be manipulated, examined, and output
in a variety of ways.
While some other modules associate values with a range of keys (see
["SEE ALSO"](#see-also)), the objective of Number::RangeTracker is to quickly and
easily monitor the integers on a number line that are covered by at
least one range. Number::RangeTracker performs significantly faster
than other modules that have similar functions (see ["SEE ALSO"](#see-also)).
- new
Initializes a new Number::RangeTracker object.
- add( START, END )
Add one or more ranges. This can be used multiple times to add ranges
to the object. Ranges can be added in several ways. The following are
equivalent.
$range->add( [ 1, 10 ], [ 16, 20 ] );
$range->add( 1, 10, 16, 20 );
$range->add( '1..10', '16..20' );
- remove( START, END )
Remove one or more ranges from the current set of ranges. This can be
used multiple times to remove ranges from the object. Ranges can be
removed with the same syntax used for adding ranges.
- collapse
When ranges are added or removed, overlapping ranges are not collapsed
until necessary. This allows range Number::RangeTracker to be very
fast.
Ranges can be manually collapsed to avoid memory issues when
working with very large amounts of ranges. In one test, a million
overlapping ranges required ~100 MB of memory. This requirement was
cut drastically by collapsing ranges after every 100,000th range was
added.
Ranges are automatically collapsed (and merged or removed where
appropriate) (1) before ranges are added (if there are ranges still
waiting to be removed) and (2) before each of the following methods is
executed.
- length
Returns the total length of all ranges combined.
- size
Returns the total number of elements (i.e., integers) of all ranges.
- is\_in\_range( VALUE )
Test whether a VALUE is contained within one of the ranges. Returns 0
for a negative result. Returns a list of three numbers for a positive
result: 1, start position of the containing range, end position of the
containing range.
- output
Returns all ranges sorted by their start positions. In list context,
returns a list of all ranges sorted by start positions. This is
suitable for populating a hash, an array, or even another range
object. In scalar context, returns a string of ranges formatted as:
`1..10,16..20`.
- integers
Returns each integer contained within the ranges. In list context,
returns a sorted list. In scalar context, returns a sorted,
comma-delimited string of integers.
- complement( UNIVERSE\_START, UNIVERSE\_END )
Returns the complement of a set of ranges. The output is in list
context sorted by range start positions.
my $original_range = Number::RangeTracker->new;
$original_range->add( [ 11, 20 ], [ 41, 60 ], [ 91, 110 ] );
my %complement = $original_range->complement;
# -inf => 10,
# 21 => 40,
# 61 => 90,
# 111 => +inf
UNIVERSE\_START and UNIVERSE\_END can be used to specify a finite subset
of the 'universe' of numbers (defaults are -/+ infinity. The
complement ranges are bounded by these values.
%complement = $original_range->complement( 1, 50 );
# 1 => 10,
# 21 => 40
A new object with the complement of a set of ranges can be created
quickly and easily.
my $complement_range = Number::RangeTracker->new;
$complement_range->add( $original_range->complement );
# SEE ALSO
- Monitor the integers covered by at least one range
Although there is some functional overlap between this module,
[Number::Range](
https://metacpan.org/pod/Number::Range), and
[Range::Object::Serial](
https://metacpan.org/pod/Range::Object::Serial), Number::RangeTracker
is significantly faster.
It takes less than one second for Number::RangeTracker to add 100,000
overlapping ranges. Over this same period of time, Number::Range and
Range::Serial::Object are only able to add 1,000 and 300 ranges,
respectively.
Some tasks require even higher throughput. When adding 1 million
overlapping ranges, Number::Range took >250 times as long as
Number::RangeTracker (35 min 31 sec vs. 8 sec). Range::Object::Serial
slows exponentially as ranges are added and, therefore, it was not
feasible to test this many ranges.

- Ranges with strandedness (like double-stranded DNA or mile posts
on a two-way road)
[Bio::Range](
https://metacpan.org/pod/Bio::Range)
- Compare numbers in an imprecision-tolerant manner
[Number::Tolerant](
https://metacpan.org/pod/Number::Tolerant)
- Named ranges
[Tie::RangeHash](
https://metacpan.org/pod/Tie::RangeHash),
[Array::IntSpan](
https://metacpan.org/pod/Array::IntSpan)
# SOURCE AVAILABILITY
The source code is on Github:
[
https://github.com/mfcovington/Number-RangeTracker](
https://github.com/mfcovington/Number-RangeTracker)
# AUTHOR
Michael F. Covington, <
[email protected]>
# BUGS
Please report any bugs or feature requests at
[
https://github.com/mfcovington/Number-RangeTracker/issues](
https://github.com/mfcovington/Number-RangeTracker/issues).
# INSTALLATION
To install this module from GitHub using cpanm:
cpanm
[email protected]:mfcovington/Number-RangeTracker.git
Alternatively, download and run the following commands:
perl Build.PL
./Build
./Build test
./Build install
# SUPPORT AND DOCUMENTATION
You can find documentation for this module with the perldoc command.
perldoc Number::RangeTracker
# LICENSE AND COPYRIGHT
Copyright 2014 Michael F. Covington.
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
under the terms of the the Artistic License (2.0). You may obtain a
copy of the full license at:
[
http://www.perlfoundation.org/artistic\_license\_2\_0](
http://www.perlfoundation.org/artistic_license_2_0)
Any use, modification, and distribution of the Standard or Modified
Versions is governed by this Artistic License. By using, modifying or
distributing the Package, you accept this license. Do not use, modify,
or distribute the Package, if you do not accept this license.
If your Modified Version has been derived from a Modified Version made
by someone other than you, you are nevertheless required to ensure that
your Modified Version complies with the requirements of this license.
This license does not grant you the right to use any trademark, service
mark, tradename, or logo of the Copyright Holder.
This license includes the non-exclusive, worldwide, free-of-charge
patent license to make, have made, use, offer to sell, sell, import and
otherwise transfer the Package with respect to any patent claims
licensable by the Copyright Holder that are necessarily infringed by the
Package. If you institute patent litigation (including a cross-claim or
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direct or contributory patent infringement, then this Artistic License
to you shall terminate on the date that such litigation is filed.
Disclaimer of Warranty: THE PACKAGE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER
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